Bang!
A salute exploded in the air, and tiny pieces of red paper slowly fell from the sky. The smell of gunpowder and firecrackers filled the air in front of the General's Mansion.
In today's world, any wealthy family has many complicated etiquette when it comes to weddings, not to mention that today's grand event at the General's Mansion is a marriage granted by the Emperor, which makes it even more grand and complicated.
However, after the martial artists entered the General's Mansion with their invitations, the seats they were assigned were separate from the courtyard where the civil and military officials in the court came to congratulate them.
The people in the martial arts world and the officials in the court were wary of each other. After they sat down, they all stayed quietly in the courtyard and did not walk around. The servants and maids, led by the four generals of the Lei Mansion, entertained the guests.
They did not need to accompany all the wedding ceremonies. They just had to wait for the general to come and say hello to everyone, and then they could start eating.
From the hour of Yin to almost noon, thousands of people had entered the general's mansion one after another.
Fang Yunhan and his four companions were the last group to arrive.
There was still some estrangement between Lu Xiaofeng and Xue Bing, but they did not really want to keep a distance of ten miles between each other. Perhaps both sides had gradually become accustomed to this kind of relationship. They seemed to be much more comfortable than when they first met in the restaurant.
The reason why the four of them came relatively late was also Lu Xiaofeng's suggestion. He was a person who liked lively occasions, and thought that if they came at this time, they would probably be able to see the ceremony of welcoming the bride into the house and the three bows of the couple before entering the assigned courtyard.
As expected, he calculated it correctly.
As soon as the four were welcomed into the house by the Wolf General, they saw the bride and groom had walked around the screen wall and arrived at the largest hall in the center of the general's mansion.
There was already a group of people waiting here, but there was only one person sitting among them.
That was the King of Qi sitting in the high seat.
Next to the King of Qi stood a scholar in white clothes with hair hanging down on the left side of his forehead.
When Fang Yunhan and the other three arrived, the scholar seemed to have sensed something and his eyes suddenly fixed over here.
Today is Lei Zhentian's wedding day. Most of the guests, including the servants, are wearing clothes in bright red, dark red, light yellow and other colors. The carpets, lanterns, silks and flowers hanging everywhere are also all in festive red.
This person was the only one standing in the hall in white, looking out of place.
Lu Xiaofeng chuckled and introduced Fang Yunhan secretly: "The scholar in white is called Xiao Shusheng. He was originally a famous person in the martial arts world. He is very skilled in martial arts, especially in Qinggong. He can be said to be both good and evil. Later, he was involved in the court for some reason and entered the Prince Qi's mansion to protect Prince Qi. It has been many years now."
Fang Yunhan nodded slightly, feeling that the scholar's eyes looked a little strange, but before he could look back to inquire, the scholar had already looked away.
It seemed that just because an expert entered, Xiao Shusheng paid a little more attention to him because of his guarding duties.
Fang Yunhan didn't think much about it because his attention was already drawn to the groom in the lobby.
The groom here is, of course, Lei Zhentian, a man known as the God of Death General. He has been famous for more than 20 years and is naturally not young.
However, there were no wrinkles on his face. Although there were a few strands of silver in his hair, it was very shiny. His short beard was black, his eyebrows were sharp and his eyes were bright. His temperament did not seem violent or rude, but rather elegant and calm. The bright red robe made him look younger, forming a sharp contrast with the old and frail King Qi who was sitting in the high seat.
These two friends who have known each other for many years really seem to be a generation apart in age.
No wonder the King of Qi was willing to let his daughter marry him.
However, Fang Yunhan saw more.
Even if Lei Zhentian tried his best to restrain his aura, the fascinating spirit that had been ingrained in every inch of his blood and bones for many years would still silently influence the perceptions of those around him.
As long as he stands here, everyone's attention will unconsciously be drawn to him, and their hearts will be drawn to his every move.
There were less than five people in the lobby who were completely free from this influence.
And just after the couple bowed to each other, Fang Yunhan suddenly felt an approaching aura that was strong enough to compete with Lei Zhentian.
The four generals gathered in front of the hall and hurried over. Although they all wore masks, their rapid steps revealed their nervousness.
Before they could open their mouths, a group of people came out from behind the screen wall.
This group of people included those dressed as eunuchs with whisks in their hands, as well as the Imperial Guards and some men from the Eastern Depot.
The one walking in front was an old man with a white face and no beard, and slightly yellow hair. He walked with the gait of a dragon or a tiger, holding a roll of bright yellow silk in his hand. He was wearing a cloak embroidered with dark cloud patterns and the mythical beast Bi'an, and he was chanting loudly.
" The imperial edict has arrived."
His voice was not sharp or feminine like that of ordinary eunuchs, but slightly hoarse, but deep. But this man was the most famous and powerful eunuch today - Cao Zhongxian, the head of the East Factory.
Everyone in the hall knelt down immediately to receive the order. Some martial artists were unwilling to kneel and did not want to steal the show, so they quietly left the hall.
Fang Yunhan and others were listening to Cao Zhongxian reading the imperial edict in the yard.
It’s just that the emperor gave Lei Zhentian some gifts because of his wedding today.
After listening to a few sentences, Fang Yunhan felt bored and said, "Let's go find a seat first."
"Okay." Lu Xiaofeng nodded.
There were servants beside them to lead the way for the four of them.
These servants had been instructed in advance to divide the people from the martial arts world who came to the wedding banquet into different levels and lead them into different courtyards.
The courtyard that Fang Yunhan and his friends went to was spacious, with narrow paths shaded by flowers and three pavilions, but there were only three tables in total. It was obviously a place to entertain extraordinary people.
Two of the tables were already full, with people from the seven major sects, nine major gangs, Qiao Shangzhou and others sitting around them .
As soon as Fang Yunhan came in, these people stood up to greet him and exchanged greetings.
Qiao Shangzhou smiled and said, "Master Fang, let me introduce you. These three are Master Tiejian of Shaolin, Elder Wang Shidai of the Beggars' Sect, and Taoist Master Sumu, who is the number one in Wudang."
There were only these three people here, whom Fang Yunhan had never seen before. He greeted them one by one, focusing his eyes on Mu Dao Ren.
After a while, Fang Yunhan and the other four sat down at the remaining table, and Mu Dao Ren also moved here.
This Taoist monk Mu is a good friend of Lu Xiaofeng. He is usually a carefree person. Although he is the most famous master in Wudang , he actually only wears a Taoist robe that has been washed many times and looks a bit thin.
The leaders of other major gangs knew his personality, so they didn't take him seriously when they saw him approaching alone.
Fang Yunhan watched the kind and elegant old Taoist priest chatting happily with Lu Xiaofeng, and the strange smile in his heart could not be shaken off.
"Lu Xiaofeng, your friendship with Taoist Mu is truly enviable."
Lu Xiaofeng didn't understand the implication of his words and just smiled complacently.
Soon after, it was time for the meal.
In the middle of the meal, Lei Zhentian came to toast with a round of wine. He had obviously drunk quite a lot and smelled strongly of alcohol, but he was still very sober. However, some people around him looked a little unnatural.
Upon asking, I found out that the head of the East Factory had actually stayed with a large group of people to attend the wedding banquet, and he was not going to leave until he was drunk.
The banquet lasted until sunset, and the setting sun was as red as blood.
Lu Xiaofeng smiled as he gently twirled his wine glass: "At this moment, General Lei must have his lovely wife in his arms."
Before he finished speaking, a shrill scream almost spread throughout the general's mansion.